Breaking the News

“Wer gonna live the fulltimin' life.”

As you might imagine, when I.M. first said that, I was not exactly sure what all the implications of those words were, even though I had been present the day his cousin took a wrong turn and accidently drove past the service station, which in turn led to our first encounter with the RV lifestyle. Unfortunately I didn’t get to talk at length to I.M.’s cousin’s wife, but since she appeared to be somewhat bewildered at the time, my ensuing confusion over what I.M. was proposing was probably quite reasonable.

When I.M. becomes excited, he can lapse into his native tongue, as I sometimes teasingly refer to that specific manner of speaking of his, the result of which meant that it took some time for me to realize the the full impact of the changes he was proposing for our life. Reading the comments that you wonderful readers leave on I.M.’s blog, as well as reading the blogs you write, I find it how amazingly varied are the ways by which you have reached the present point on the road to the fulltime life.

I wish I could speak to each of you, particularly to MeriKay with her somewhat difficult circumstances, and perhaps in the future I will attempt that, but for now I will describe how how I faced the prospect of a major upheaval in my life that was completely unforeseen. However I realize it will take several blog posts to relate it all, especially if I find myself emulating I.M. in the number of words I use.

I can understand how, based on I.M.’s description of our life, you might think I would have been excited about leaving where we lived, but you would be wrong. I was raised in a loving family where I never heard my mother talk of a life she might have had, I only heard her being thankful for the wonderful life she was fortunate enough to have. I too am thankful for what I have, knowing that dreams are only that, but I must say that in all my years with I.M., I never dreamed I’d be living the life I do today.